Visible alarm-signal



W. E MANNING.

VISIBLE ALARM SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I2, I9I9.

1 ,33 1 ,8 1 8. Patented Feb. 24, 1920.

WITNESS:v INVENTOR.

A TTORNEYJ' WILLIAM E. MANNING, OF VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA.

VISIBLE ALARM-SIGNAL.

- I Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Feb, 24, 1920.

Application filed September 12, 1919. Serial No. 323,266.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, WILLIAM E. MAN- NING, a citizen of the Dominion of Canada, residing at Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in VisibleAlarn1-S1gnals, of which the follow-.

ing is a specification. I

This invention relates to a vlsible alarm signal which has been particularly designed to be cooperative withthe electrically operated alarm bell, such as is used to intimate to street traflic the approach of the vehicles of a fire. brigade, or at level crossings, the

approach of an engine or train onthe railway track.

The motor operated bell or gong commonly used as an alarm signal in such cases, is usually supplemented with a visible signal, such as a red lamp illuminated by the current which operates the motor, and is intended to attract the attention of the drivers of such vehicles who, from the noise of their surroundings, may be unable to hear the bell.

A red light such as is commonly used is not conspicuous during the day, and even at night is not sufficiently distinctive to serve the desired object. It is to supplement an alarm bell or gong with a conspicuous and distinctive coincident illumination that the invention, which is the subj ect. of this application, has been devised.

The device is fully set forth in the following specification, reference being made to the drawings by which it is accompanied, in

which Figure 1 is a front elevation, and

Fig. 2,,a sectional elevation on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1. 7

In these drawings 2 represents the bell or ong, 3 the motor and 4: its shaft, on which shaft the hammer head 5 is secured which rings the bell,

On the shaft 3 of the motor, preferably on the end opposite to that on which is the hammer head 5, is secured a wheel 6 of abrasive material, suchas carborundum or the like and above this wheel 6 is secured an open slotted support 8 adapted to loosely receive a bar or rod 9 of such material that will in contact with the rotating wheel 6 emit a stream of brilliant sparks and deliver them in a line toward and across the line of trafic.

A Thus, when the motor is energized to ring the alarm bell, it will at the same time rotate the wheel 6 and deliver a distinctive visible signal to the trafiic on the street. The bar 9 has'been made of hard steel but some other alloy may be found to give a more brilliant stream of sparks.

The. essential feature of the invention is the delivery-of a stream of sparks forming a distinctive signal cooperative with the mechanism which rings the bell. The bar 9 is self-feeding in the slot ofits support, and as one bar wears down within the slot another may be inserted by the attendant, the weight of which will bear upon the res- I idue of the one in use until it is worn out.

The signal thus displayed is both conspicuous and distinctive and will be readily recognized as an alarm signal, even in a fully lighted street. 7

Having nowparticularly described my invention, I hereby declare that what I claim as new and desire to be protected in by Letters Patent, is:

'1. As a visible alarm signal, thefcombination with an alarm bell. of means cooperative with the ringing of the bell for delivering a brilliant stream of sparks outward from the location of the bell.

2. A visible alarm signal, comprising the I combination with a motor driven wheel of abrasivematerial, of means for loosely supporting a barof other material in contact with the wheel whereby a train of sparks will be emitted as the wheel is rotated.

3. As avisible alarm signal, the combination with a motor driven shaft which operates an, alarm bell, of a wheel of abrasive material secured thereon, and a bar of material resting in contact with the periphery of the wheel whereby a train of sparks will be emitted as the shaft is rotated to ring the bell.

4. A visible alarm signal, comprising the combination with an alarm bell'having a rotatable liammer'head,of a wheel of abrasive material secured to rotate with the ham- 'mer head, and means for loosely supporting driven head rotates to ring the bell.

In testimony whereof afiix my signature. 7

WILLIAM E, MANNING, 

